Beneath the Light of the Moon
by StBridget
Summary: They knew being two different species wasn't going to be easy, but, when Steve asks to run with Danny under the full moon, they realize just how hard it is. AU Vampire!Steve Werewolf!Danny sequel to When Sparks Fly


**Hawaii Five-0 is property of CBS and its creators.  
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 **A/N: My original concept was a sweet, fluffy fic of them running together under the moon and curling up in a dog pile, so to speak, but I realized I just couldn't do that. They're species that don't get along, and that's going to come up. So, you get this. It's definitely not fluff, but it all works out in the end.**

It took a month for the first big hurdle to rear its ugly head. Sure, it hadn't all been smooth sailing; they'd had their spats, but it wasn't anything you wouldn't expect from a normal couple—work, time spent together, finances, the usual. That Steve was a vampire and Danny was a werewolf miraculously hadn't come up.

Until the first full moon. The night before, they were lounging on the sofa, watching a movie like usual. Danny's legs were kicked up on the arm of the sofa, and his head was in Steve's lap. Steve's hand was carding through Danny's hair. Steve loved the feel of Danny's hair at the end of the day when the product had mostly worn off—it was soft and silky, and Steve could—and frequently did—run his hands through it for hours. Danny complained that Steve was messing up his hair, but there was no force behind it. In fact, Danny seemed to enjoy it as much as Steve did. Sometimes, the wolf seemed to practically purr like a cat—not that Steve would ever tell him that. He had a feeling that would _not_ go over well.

Danny yawned, stretched, and looked at his watch. "Wow, midnight already. I'd better get some sleep." He stood up.

Steve missed the head in his lap as soon as it was gone. God, he was addicted to this man. He'd stay snuggled up with Danny 24/7 if he could, highly doable since, as a vampire, he didn't need to worry about things like eating, sleeping, and other bodily functions. Alas, reality dictated they did, in fact, have to spend some time apart. Hopefully, not tonight, though. "You staying?" Steve asked. Danny did most nights when he didn't have Grace or an active case that had him out late or up early, but Steve still asked. They weren't at the point where Steve could make assumptions, although he was already planning to ask Danny to move in with him as soon as a reasonable time period had passed.

"Absolutely," Danny said. "It's my last chance until the weekend. Wouldn't miss it for the world." He leered at Steve, and Steve felt himself stir as he always did when Danny looked at him like that. The vampire hoped he'd never get tired of seeing that look, not in a hundred years, or two hundred, or however many hundreds they had together, which would hopefully be a lot.

Steve felt a stab of disappointment as Danny's words sank in. "Oh, right, the full moon." Damn, he'd miss Danny. Sure, they could still meet for lunch and talk and text during the day as their schedules allowed, but not having Danny curled up next to him in bed, not being able to hang out with him, not even being able to call after sundown for three whole days was a bleak prospect. How could Steve be so dependent on this man after just one short month?

"Yeah." Danny pulled Steve to his feet and crowded into his personal space, bodies flush. He looked up at Steve with heavy-lidded eyes. "We've got tonight, though." He captured Steve's lips in a heated kiss.

Steve found himself carried away with the kiss, as always, but his mind couldn't let go of the pending full moon. "I could run with you," he blurted when they broke apart.

Danny stiffened. "What?"

"I could run with you. You know, when you're a wolf," Steve repeated.

Danny looked doubtful. "I don't think that's such a good idea, babe."

Steve's face fell, but he knew Danny had a point. Running during the full moon was something you shared with pack, and Danny already had one. "Right. You're probably running with your family."

Danny snorted. "Not likely. Rachel has made it very clear I'm not any part of her, Stan, and Grace's little pack."

Wow, that had to hurt. Still, there must be someone. "Is there a local pack you run with?"

Danny shook his head. "The only pack on the island is the native pack, and they're not very friendly to haoles. They do let us use their land, though."

Steve knew how important pack was to werewolves during the full moon. Danny must feel awfully lonely with no one to run with. Steve knew he should drop it, but he couldn't help pushing on. "All the more reason to run with me."

Danny was still hesitant. "Steve, I'm totally different when I'm a wolf—I'm not a person, I'm an animal. I do things civilized people wouldn't approve of."

Steve shrugged. "So do I. How bad can it be?"

Danny grasped Steve's arms, begging him to understand. "You wouldn't get it. You're not. . ."

And there it was. "I'm not a werewolf," Steve finished, voice flat.

Danny sighed. "Look, there's just things that are part of me being a wolf I don't show other people, just like there's things that are part of you being a vampire."

Danny had a point, but. . ."Maybe we _should_ show them to each other," Steve said. "If we're really serious about this, it's important to know everything about each other. We can't base this relationship on just what we're willing to show." They hadn't talked about where this was going, but Steve really hoped it was going to end up in a bond. He felt the pull every time they made love, and he knew Danny did, too. Steve's mark was more or less permanently sucked into Danny's neck, and Steve wore Danny's proudly on his shoulder. If they couldn't accept what each other was, it was never going to work.

That seemed to get through to Danny. "Okay, fine. You're right. You can run with me. I still think it's a bad idea, though."

Steve kissed him. "Thank you. It's important to me."

Danny smirked, breaking the serious mood that had settled on them. "Now, I believe we have some important business to take care of before it turns into bestiality."

Steve kissed him again, hungrily, devouring Danny's mouth, running his tongue over sharp canines, feeling a small jolt of pleasurable pain, nipping at Danny's lips with his own fangs and lapping up the drops of blood. He loved the way Danny tasted and longed to be able to drink as deeply as he wanted. That would come with time, though. He hoped. They had to get through this first. Steve pushed that sobering thought out of his mind and carried Danny up to bed.

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Things were stilted the next morning. Danny still seemed apprehensive about the coming night, and Steve had to admit he was worried, too. He didn't know what to expect, what Danny would be like as a wolf, and how the wolf would react to the vampire. Steve knew he had to reveal parts of himself to Danny, too. Usually, Steve subsisted on pig's blood sourced from a local butcher, but sometimes, the need to hunt was almost as strong as with werewolves. Steve no longer hunted humans—never really had, refusing to be drawn into that darkness and mostly subsisting on animals—but he still went after the many wild boars on the island when the need overcame him. Tonight, he figured, was the perfect opportunity to show that side to Danny. Maybe they could even hunt together. Steve just wasn't sure how that would go.

Steve didn't hear from Danny all day. Steve had a client who could only meet for lunch—naturally, at a table in full sun at an outdoor café, not ideal even for a vampire who could walk in daylight, but he couldn't tell a client that—and Danny was doing a deposition all day. The only word from Danny was a quick text about five with a location and the words _meet me at sundown_.

Steve was really hoping they could spend some time together before that. _Dinner?_ He typed back.

There was a delay in Danny's response. Steve had just about given up hearing back when his phone pinged. _Not tonight. Sorry_.

Steve was disappointed. It could just be that Danny had things to take care of before he transformed, but Steve got the distinct feeling he was getting the brush-off. This was really coming between them. Hopefully, tonight would go well, and they could move on, stronger than before. Steve really didn't want to think about what would happen if they couldn't.

Danny was already at the trailhead where he said to meet when Steve pulled up. The blond was pacing back and forth, hand running nervously through his hair. He didn't stop as Steve approached. If anything, the pacing got more frantic.

"Danny." Steve placed his hands on the shorter man's shoulders, forcing him to stop and holding him in place. "Calm down. It will be fine."

Danny's hand didn't stop running through his hair. "Sorry. I just can't help thinking this is going to be a disaster. There's a reason wolves don't run with outsiders."

Danny's words were like a knife to the heart—a silver one. _Outsider_. There it was. Danny didn't think of Steve as family, as _pack_. Maybe he never would. Steve refused to consider that thought. "I'm not an outsider," Steve insisted. "At least, I don't want to be. And I didn't think you felt that way either."

"No!" Danny said, vehemently. "God, I didn't mean that. It's just the way I was brought up, you know? Wolves don't associate with. . ." he trailed off, realizing just how bad what he was going to say would sound.

Steve heard it, even unspoken. _Vampires_. It hurt, but Steve understood. Distrust ran deep between the two races. Hell, Steve had been none too thrilled when he found out Danny was a werewolf, but he thought—hoped—they'd gotten over it. Still, Steve could admit it was different for him. He didn't really have any vampire friends, so there was no one to tell him this relationship was wrong. Danny had a family, a pack, and, while the werewolf didn't say much about it, Steve knew Rachel, at least, didn't approve and was very vocal, threatening to keep Grace away. That had to be hard on Danny, and it probably wasn't helping to dispel the ingrained beliefs.

Steve took a deep breath, putting it all on the line. "I know, Danny. It's new territory—vampires and werewolves don't usually associate, let alone date. But if we want this to work, if we want this to last forever, if we want to bond, to _mate_ , we have to do this. And I don't know about you, but that's what I want."

Danny looked at Steve with wonder in his eyes, not saying or doing anything for a moment. Then, he lunged forward, smashing their lips together, licking at Steve's lips, begging for entrance which was quickly and willingly granted. They let their passion consume them, teeth clashing, tongues dancing, until Danny finally pulled back. "I want that too, babe." He squared his shoulders, visibly pulling himself together. "Let's do this."

Danny quickly stripped, and, even though it wasn't sexual, Steve watched, drinking in the sight of those compact muscle, that thick, golden chest hair, those strong legs. He'd never get enough of that sight, and, if tonight went well, he'd never have to.

Danny gave a long stretch, then crouched over, and, suddenly, a large wolf was standing in front of Steve. Danny was breathtaking. His fur was golden, accented by a long, black stripe down the back, with a black mask framing eyes that were the same glacial blue. Just like his human form, Danny was solid and compact. Steve didn't know much about wolves, but he got the impression Danny was small for a wolf. That didn't mean he was any less powerful, though. Strength radiated from him. Steve sure wouldn't want to take on Danny in a fight. "Beautiful," Steve breathed.

Steve swore Danny preened at the praise. He nuzzled Steve's hand, and the vampire stroked his head, burying his hand in the soft fur. It was warm and thick, and, just like Danny's hair, Steve could stroke it for hours. Danny quickly got impatient, though, shoving Steve's hand away. The wolf crouched, front down, rear up, plumed tail wagging, clearly wanting to play. "Okay, buddy," Steve said. "Lead on."

The wolf bounded into the jungle, Steve following. The reached a clearing, and Danny turned around, racing at Steve, knocking him over and planting large paws on his chest. Steve laughed, and Danny's tongue darted out and licked a long stripe up Steve's face. "Gross," Steve said, wiping his face, but he wasn't really bothered.

Danny backed off, and Steve rose up and tackled him. They wrestled for a while, then Danny's body stiffened, nose pointed in the air, sniffing. "Whatcha smelling, boy?" Steve asked. He cringed. Danny probably wouldn't appreciate being talked to like a dog. Oh, well, he'd do better next time.

Danny whined, and Steve caught the scent, too. Wild boar. "Yeah, buddy, I smell it. Let's go." Silently, the two crept through the woods, Steve following Danny's stronger nose. Soon, Danny stopped with a low whine, pointing with his nose. A large boar was rooting at the base of a tree. Danny bared his teeth, and Steve's fangs dropped. "After you," Steve whispered, barely audible even in the silence, but he knew Danny heard it just fine.

The wolf dropped to his belly and crept forward, hoping to catch the boar unawares. Just as Danny crouched to spring, the boar caught his sent and turned. Danny lunged and missed. The boar squealed in fright and ran off.

Steve and Danny gave chase. Soon, Steve pulled slightly ahead of Danny, slowly gaining on the boar. When the vampire got within striking distance, he tackled the boar, bringing it to the ground and sinking his fangs into its neck.

Warm blood flooded Steve's mouth, and he drank greedily. It had been too long since he had been able to drink his fill, and he gulped the blood like thirsty man would gulp a glass of water. He didn't notice Danny until the wolf was almost upon him. An animal instinct overtook him, and he growled threateningly at the wolf, unwilling to share his kill.

Danny's ears went back, and he growled back, creeping closer. Steve tensed, ready to fight to protect his kill. The wolf lunged for the carcass, and Steve's arm came up, knocking the wolf across the clearing. Danny hit the ground with a thud, not moving.

That jolted Steve back to his senses. He was horrified. That was _Danny_ he'd just struck. Worried he'd hurt the other man, Steve watched with bated breath until Danny stirred. The wolf staggered to his feet, turning hurt eyes on Steve. The vampire couldn't take it. He fled. Danny didn't follow.

Steve raced back to his car, throwing the truck into gear and speeding off, leaving Danny in the jungle.

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Steve spent the rest of the night hunched on the sofa, head in his hands, berating himself for what he'd done. Danny had been right. Hunting together was a horrible idea. Steve could have badly hurt the wolf, maybe even killed him. It wasn't beyond the possibility—overcome by his vampire instincts, Steve would have done anything to protect his kill. In doing so, he had probably lost the first person who had ever really meant anything to him.

Steve didn't know how long he'd been sitting there when a knock on his door startled him out of his thoughts. Could it be Danny? With the blackout curtains, Steve didn't know what time it was. Was it dawn already?

Steve opened the door, both anticipating and dreading what he'd find. Danny was standing on the porch, arm raised to knock again. Behind him, the sun was just starting to rise. He must have driven straight here as soon as he transformed.

They stood frozen for a minute, not meeting each other's eyes. Finally, Danny spoke. "Can I come in?"

Wordlessly, Steve stepped aside and held the door open for Danny. The werewolf entered and paused a few steps inside the door, not turning to face Steve. "I think we need to talk," Danny said.

"I'm sorry," Steve blurted out. "You could have been seriously hurt. It's just—my vampire side got the better of me." He wanted to say it would never happen again, but that was a promise he couldn't make.

Danny still didn't turn around. "It's not just on you. I was ready to attack you, too, all over a stupid pig." He laughed, hollowly. "I knew it wouldn't turn out well."

"So, what does this mean?" Steve asked, softly, afraid of the answer.

Danny finally turned around and looked Steve in the eye, blue eyes troubled. "It sure as hell means we don't hunt together."

Steve nodded his head. "Is that all it means?"

Danny ran his hand through his hair. "I don't know. I won't lie—this is a big deal. It really scared me—not just what you might do to me, but what _I_ might do to _you_. I don't have the same control over myself when I'm a wolf. It could have ended really badly."

"But it didn't," Steve pointed out.

"Yeah, but next time we might not be so lucky," Danny said.

Steve didn't like where this was heading. "What if we just avoid each other on the full moon?"

"I don't know if that's enough," Danny said. "We agreed we couldn't hide who we were from each other. This is a big part of who I am. I don't know if we can just sweep it under the rug and pretend it doesn't exist."

Steve swallowed around the lump in his throat. "So, what does this mean?"

"I don't know," Danny said for a third time. "I need to think. I'll call you Saturday, okay?"

They had plans for Saturday. "Are we still getting together?"

"I don't know." That seemed to be Danny's go-to response right now. "I'll let you know."

Steve nodded. There really wasn't much else he could do. Danny turned to leave, but Steve couldn't just let him go. "Can. . .Can I kiss you?" Steve asked, hesitantly.

Danny paused, hand on the door knob. "I don't think that's a good idea."

"Please," Steve begged. If this was the last time he saw Danny, he couldn't stand not to taste him one last time.

Danny nodded, slowly, and took a step towards Steve. Steve put a hand on the smaller man's cheek, tenderly. The brunet brought their lips together, softly. The kiss lacked their usual passion. It felt like goodbye.

Steve pulled back, blinking to keep the tears in his eyes from falling. He couldn't let Danny see him cry. The blond touched their lips together again, then stepped back. "I'll call you," he promised, eyes sad.

Steve nodded, not trusting himself to speak. This time, he didn't stop Danny as the werewolf opened the door and stepped through. Steve watched him go, and ache spreading through his body. Apparently, his heart didn't need to beat to break.

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Steve didn't hear from Danny all that day or the next. He kept his phone close by, just in the case the werewolf called, but the vampire wasn't surprised when he didn't. Steve wanted to call, came so close too many times to count, but he respected the other man's wishes. Danny was right—he had to work this out on his own, and he wasn't the only one.

Steve did a lot of thinking while he waited for Danny to call. Danny was right—this wasn't just something they could ignore. If they were serious about being together, about being _mates_ —and Steve was more than willing to accept the werewolf ritual—they had to accept the animal parts of each other. Maybe they couldn't share those parts, but they had to acknowledge them, had to be aware that, if either lost control, they could easily seriously hurt or even kill each other. That would always put a strain on their relationship. Maybe they could get over it, but it wouldn't be easy.

Steve knew without a doubt he wanted to try. He could be careful, control himself around Danny, avoid situations where his vampire side might take control. If he needed to hunt, he could tell Danny, but do it on his own, and he'd do the same for Danny. He'd respect that in Danny, and, hopefully, Danny could do the same. He could accept there was a wild side of Danny he couldn't be part of, but could Danny do the same?

Steve was surprised when, at sunset of the second day, there was a scratching at the door. Curious as to what it could be, he opened the door, not seeing anyone—or anything—until he dropped his gaze. There, on the porch, was Danny, in wolf form. Steve looked past him and saw the Camaro in the driveway. Danny must have driven here, then shifted, but why?

Danny whined and nudged at Steve's hand. In response, Steve buried his hand in the fur he thought he'd never feel again. Danny rubbed against him, then nudged at Steve to move, padding past him into the house when Steve obeyed.

Stunned, Steve watched as Danny headed to the couch, stopping when he reached it and turning around, clearly asking if Steve was following him. In a daze, Steve crossed the room and sat down. Danny immediately jumped up and curled up, head in Steve's lap.

Apparently, they were going to pretend this was normal, even if it was anything but. Steve picked up the remote. "Want to watch a movie?" Danny whined in agreement. "What do you want to see? Dancing with Wolves?" Steve asked, mischievously. He knew Danny hated that movie, even if it was favorable to wolves.

Danny growled, and Steve laughed, some of the tightness that had gripped his chest since Danny walked out loosening. "Just kidding. I'm up for something mindless. How about Lethal Weapon? Or Rush Hour?" Danny loved cop buddy movies, poking fun at the improbable situations.

Danny made a noise of agreement, and Steve pulled up Netflix and selected Lethal Weapon. They watched the movie in companionable silence, Steve stroking Danny's head as he usually did, just fur instead of hair. It felt just as good.

When the movie was over, Danny padded over to the refrigerator and whined. "Hungry?" Steve asked. "I got some hamburger for the game Sunday. That okay?" Danny lay down, head on his paws, and waited. Steve took that as agreement. He got the meat out and put it on a plate, setting it down in front of Danny. Danny wolfed it down—pardon the pun—and padded back to the sofa, leaping up and resuming his curled up position.

Steve followed. "How about part two?"

They binged the entire series. When it was over, Danny headed for the stairs and padded up, Steve following. Apparently, it was time for bed. The wolf leaped up and made himself comfortable at the foot. Steve put on his sleep pants and a t-shirt and slid under the covers. He didn't have to sleep, but he usually did when Danny was there, lulled by the feeling of a warm body next to his. Even with Danny at the foot in wolf form, it didn't take Steve long to drift off.

When Steve woke up the next morning—at least, he assumed it was morning, and a quick check of the clock confirmed it—the wolf was still asleep at the foot. Steve stroked him, glad Danny was there, though still baffled as to why.

Danny stirred and stretched, and suddenly, instead of a wolf, there was a very naked man at the foot of Steve's bed. He blinked sleepily at Steve and smiled. "Hey."

"Hey, yourself," Steve said. "Not that I'm complaining, but what brought that about?"

Danny scooted up until his back was to the headboard. "I did a lot of thinking, and I realized I can't let this go. Obviously, there's parts of each other we just can't share, but we can't ignore, either. I realized I could meet you halfway."

"What do you mean?" Steve asked.

"I don't have to hunt every night when I'm a wolf," Danny said. "The night of the full moon I do—the urge is just too strong to resist—but the other two nights, I just have to be a wolf. Usually, I run anyway—it's just what werewolves do—but I don't have to. I decided to try an experiment last night, see if just shifting was enough, if I could enjoy both being a wolf and being with you."

"And did it work?" Steve asked, barely daring to hope.

Danny grinned, a bright, happy grin. "Yeah, yeah, it did. I really enjoyed last night."

Steve smiled back. "Me, too," he admitted.

"And," Danny continued, "you have a private beach, so if I want to, I can take a short run, even if it does mean sand in uncomfortable places. And, if you wanted to, you could even run with me," he added, shyly.

Nothing sounded better to Steve, but he had to make sure Danny was sure about this. "Will that work?"

Danny nodded. "If we don't hunt, yeah, I think it will. I really liked playing with you the other night."

"Yeah, that was fun," Steve agreed.

"So, does that sound good to you?"

Steve wanted to immediately blurt out that yes, it sounded wonderful, but he knew he had to really think about this. He knew it took a lot for Danny to offer to share this much, and he owed it to Danny to consider his answer carefully. So, he thought about it for a minute, digging deep into his heart, asking himself if this was enough, if they could share this much and keep the rest separate. It didn't take him long to come to an answer. "Yeah, it sounds good," he said.

Danny breathed a sigh of relief, and Steve did the same. This was going to work. It wouldn't be easy, but they could do it. Yeah, this was a major setback, but they would get over it. Steve was confident of that.


End file.
